A year ago, they were many credits behind and attending Peoples High School.

But on Wednesday, 88 students held their head high and walked away with their diplomas as the first graduating class of John Finney High School.

Principal Ernani Santos acknowledged the immense changes that occurred at Vallejo's continuation high school in the last year.

"These changes have included the renaming of our school, the school colors, the mascot and the school principal," said Santos, who took over midyear from Edison Kelly, now a coordinator at the Vallejo City Unified School District office.

Santos noted the Class of 2014 was particularly special to him, since it will be the first class he's guided as a principal. Despite the challenges that come with a series of rapid changes, the students were able to adapt and excel, Santos said.

Valedictorian Branden Thomas concurred, adding that the new phoenix mascot — the mythic symbol of rebirth through fire — was an apt one for the students of Finney High.

"We rose from the lowest of the low. ... We realized our mistakes, and that is part of our transformation," Thomas said.

Salutatorian Salinda Ector continued the theme of defeating adversity.

"I was 225 credits deficient, and now here I am graduating with the John Finney Class of 2014," she said.

Co-valedictorian Russell Menguito praised the staff and teachers at Finney, as well as students' families for supporting them through tough times.

"You stood by us even though things may have seemed a bit rocky," Menguito said.

The staff of Finney High also got recognition by Kelly, who shared Santos' duties in ushering the students through commencement. Indeed, staff could be seen chasing down windblown caps and name cards, handing them back to the correct graduate throughout the ceremony.

"This is the best staff I have ever worked with," Kelly said.

John Finney, the school's first principal when students first voted to call the school Peoples High, also attended to give his blessings to the first class to graduate from his namesake school.

"This graduating class is twice as big as the one we had in 1975," Finney said of the school's first commencement.

Thomas encouraged his classmates to reflect upon their time at Finney and to search for what will make them successful.

"Don't knock yourself because there's plenty of people who will do that for you. Do you know why? Because they are afraid of your greatness," Thomas said.